an extra-temporal intervention or a quantum fluctuation in the twentieth century might make the difference between the future of the Danellians and the future of the Terran Empire;
a Time Patrolman might travel forward into the wrong timeline;
a malfunctioning quantum-jumping hyperdrive spaceship might jump into the wrong timeline;
the fact that Nicholas van Rijn is a guest in the inter-universal inn, the Old Phoenix, shows that the Technic History timeline has access to other parts of the multiverse.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Interesting and intriguing notions, I agree! Esp. if the Technic timeline was one of those alternate worlds the Time Patrol THOUGHT it had "deleted." Whereas, of course, you had convinced Anderson himself "deleted" timelines simply became inaccessible to the Patrol.
All the same, I'm glad Anderson never tried to link up the Technic series with the Time Patrol stories. Such an effort might too easily have led to the kind of unsatisfactory linking up of his Robots and Foundation stories Asimov attempted.
The fact we see Old Nick at the Old Phoenix Inn in "House Rule" does lead to intriguing speculations on how that could have happened. And what exactly were the Taverners or how the Inn itself was able to do what it does. Might Anderson have written an Old Phoenix story showing Manse Everard as a guest there?
We both recall how the hero of THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS, Holger Carlsen, was seen at the Old Phoenix in one of the Interludes in A MIDSUMMER TEMPEST. I tend to think of the WW II timeline he grew up in as being the same as the one leading to the Technic series. And that kinda "connects" THREE HEARTS to the Technic series.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
If Anderson had subtly linked Flandry's and Everard's timelines, then he would have done it right.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I agree! Or, Anderson would have done a much better linking up of those two series than Asimov did with his Robots and Empire/Foundation stories.
Manuel Argos and Flandry would have been NATURAL visitors to the Old Phoenix!
As astra! Sean
Post a Comment